What is WIDN
The World Interior Design Network is the leading global resource for the interior design industry brought to you by World Market Intelligence, one of the world's foremost publishers of interior design information
Product Inspiration
Browse our interior design product showcase, one of the largest and fastest growing collections of premium interior design products on the Internet.
Industry Research
World Market Intelligence publishes in-depth strategic intelligence reports, drawing on in-depth primary and secondary research, proprietary databases and high quality analysis from our expert teams.
USGBC honors Arizona university's Memorial Union building with LEED-Gold
Published: 13-Nov-2009
Arizona State University’s (ASU) renovated Memorial Union (MU) building has attained US Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) – Gold certification for its environmentally sustainable construction.
The Memorial Union renovation project has transformed an outdated but historic 1950’s era building into a state-of-the-art facility, showcasing innovative green building technologies using local, regional and recycled green building materials.
A fire in a second floor storage area in November 2007 caused extensive damage, shutting down the lower levels of the building for 60 days and the second and third floors until the following August. ASU decided not to simply rebuild the damaged areas of the 54-year-old building but to meet or exceed the standards of quality and sustainability used in ASU’s newest buildings.
The project was of key importance, as the MU is the center of student life on the campus and the front door for many visitors. The university hired the architecture firm Studio Ma and CORE Construction to design and carry out the 92,000 square feet renovation, which was accomplished over a period of five months.
The use of regional and recycled materials, including local sandstone and
mesquite and reclaimed metal finishes, minimizes the project's embodied energy and supports local industry; individual lighting control systems provide energy savings of 40-70%; and a comprehensive network of real-time monitoring and trending sensors communicates the building's environmental variables to the university's central facilities.
The renovated facility uses special recessed lighting fixtures and efficient fixture layouts that reduce the light power density by 25%. About 95% of construction waste was diverted from landfills and recycled. Interior materials containing zero volatile organic compounds, such as stone and aluminum wall finishes, paints, adhesives, sealants, carpets, casework and systems furniture, provide improved air quality and durability. A portion of the ASU’s solar-generated power is dedicated to the MU.
About $40 million funding for the project came from insurance reimbursements and $13 million was paid from bond money for upgrades planned before the fire.
Delicious
Digg
Reddit
Stumble
Facebook
LinkedIn
Mail sent successfully
